Same But Different
by ka-ching
Summary: Tidus is back, but he's different. He can't remember anything about the quest he and Yunna took to defeat sin, heck he doesn't even remember her or anyone else. What's happened to him?
1. Back Again

Chapter 1-Back Again Yuna stood on the wharf, looking out to sea. She would whistle to him, but what was the point? He was gone.for good and she was here alone. He said that if she whistled, he would come a-runnin', but how could he, if he was only a dream?  
  
Tears began to stream down Yuna's face. If only she could forget him and make the pain stop? Perhaps if she was stronger- no she did not want to simply push the memory of him aside. She wanted to keep him close to her as possible, for as long as she could.  
  
The tears wouldn't stop coming and Yuna began to feel weak in the knees. She dropped to the hard wood of the wharf and just sat there, crying for everything she had lost.  
  
Kimahri stood a distance away, watching his friend in agony. He would have gone to comfort her, but he she needed to be alone. Given time, she would heal and all would be as if once was.he hoped.  
  
"Poor Yunnie," Riku said sadly from Kimahri's side. "We really should do something, you know? Perhaps if I went to talk-"  
  
"No," Kimahri said firmly.  
  
"-But"  
  
"No," he repeated again. "Yuna is strong, Yuna will find a way to break free from the pain that she is feeling and learn to accept."  
  
"Poor Yunnie," Riku said again. "She's been through too much."  
  
The sun began to set, sending colors bright and fiery across the sky and shimmering on the sea. Yuna sat on the Wharf, silently watching the beauty of the sunset. Memories began to arise again, but Yuna quickly averted her gaze from the sunset and got up.  
  
"I can't keep doing this," she said quietly to herself and began to walk back to her house that was just a ways from the beach.  
  
Yuna stopped halfway back to see Wakka play Blitzball with some of his old teammates. How truly happy they looked. Now that Sin was finally gone, everyone seemed to forget the sorrow that they had been put throught, the fear that they have all seen and experienced.  
  
Yuna took one final look at the sea before turning around to head back to her house. "Help me," the stranger said before collapsing to the sand.  
  
Yuna gave a yelp of fear. The man had appeared so suddenly from behind her. Then recognizing the hair and the outfit the man wore, Yuna began to cry again. Was it really him. She bent down to the stranger and roller him over so his face was facing upwards. The tears came harder now. It really was him.  
  
"Yuna!" Wakka exclaimed as he arrived at her side, answering the cry. "What's wrong?" "It's him," Yuna said as she clung to the limp figure in the sand. "He's back. He came back."  
  
Wakka stared in disbelief. It really way him! It couldn't be a dream, no he felt all too real. Tidus was back. He was really back.  
  
A/N: Okay, I know what you're thinking.just like all the other stories posted up here. But this is just the beginning. I actually have a plan! gasp! Okay, in my story, there are actually two Tidus', the one who died in Zanarkand one thousand years ago and the one who was just a dream. Guess which one can actually come back without a fayth to dream him up. Yup, the one from the ruined Zanarkand city. And because he's different from the dream Tidus, he doesn't know about Yuna and Wakka or anything the Dream Tidus would know. But I have a plan for that anyways. So if you're willing to hear the rest.I'll post more up. 


	2. He's Not, But He Is

a small spoiler in this chapter.not very big, doesn't give away too much about the end and you should be fine if you've gone past Zanarkand in the game.  
  
Chapter 2: He's Not, But He Is  
  
Yuna never left his side, never. She had stayed up all night by his side, watching him with loving eyes. But still, she could not truly believe it was him. For most of her waking time, she kept worrying that when he woke up, he would some how look different, talk different, act different. But, she shook the thoughts away. When he woke up, she would worry about that. Right now, she really just needed to worry about his health.  
  
Mustering up her magical energy to the cores of the fingers that grasped her rod, she began to channel her magic and draw a magic circle in her mind for the spell. As the lines formed in her mind, she began to mumble secret words that would send the magic out to him. First she had cast curaga, healing the cuts and bruises that were found all over his body. Then she had cast ensuna to drive any abnormities from his body.  
  
It had been a while since she had cast these spells since she had found no need for them now that Sin was gone, therefore her powers had weakened and as well, her mental strength. She had spent her energy, and she barely had to the strength to keep herself standing. Her rod dropped to the floor, her eyes began to roll to the back of her sockets and she fell against the sleeping Tidus, and entered her own world of sleep.  
  
****  
  
"I love you," she whisper sadly as she stared off to the distance. She felt a cold tingling sensation cover her. At first, she was shocked by the feeling, then, she saw his translucent arms around her. Her heart ached, and she felt as if she was on the verge of tears.  
  
****  
  
He woke up to her mumbling. Incoherent at first, then clearer.  
  
"I love you." she said, at least that's what he thought she said.  
  
He shook his head to clear his thoughts, then, looked again at the sleeping girl draped over his chest. She looked so young, yet, so mature.  
  
He breathed in, then out. He looked at his surroundings, they looked old, like the stuff you would find in museums and history books.  
  
"Where am I?" he mumbled as he turned his gaze back to the girl.  
  
The girl's eyes began to flicker and a slight groan escaped her lips. She was coming to.  
  
"Oh, no!" she exclaimed as she got up. "I fainted!"  
  
He watched her as she panicked and turn around in circles, trying to figure out what to do next. When she had finally gathered her bearings, she noticed Tidus sitting up on the couch, watching her amusingly.  
  
"Oh.you're finally wake," Yuna smiled. "How are you feeling?"  
  
"Weak, very weak," he said as he brought his hand to his head. "And I ache everywhere."  
  
"I'm so glad you're back," Yuna's smile faded, replaced by a sad expression. "I missed you."  
  
Tidus looked at her with questioning eyes. "Excuse me.do I know you?"  
  
Yuna stared at him for a while, then slowly turned around and left the room. Wakka was the first to pass by her.  
  
"He's okay?" Wakka asked. "He's not dying or anything, ya?"  
  
"He's okay," Yuna said quietly.  
  
"Is something wrong?" The look on Yuna's face was begin to worry him; those expressionless eyes, staring off into nothingness.  
  
"I-I need to speak to Lulu," she replied. "I need to ask her something."  
  
****  
  
Lulu watched Tidus closely from the door. He looked normal to her, but what was with his memory loss. As much as she knew, she had never heard of a dream or an unsent losing his-or-her memory. But then again, Tidus was the only dream she had ever met.  
  
"Do you think it's really him?" Riku asked as she watched eagerly.  
  
"It's hard to say at this point," Lulu replied. She didn't want to choose sides yet. "It could be. It certainly looks like him."  
  
"Yunie must be so happy," Rika smiled widely.  
  
"She might be," Lulu nodded. "Maybe."  
  
****  
  
"So.what do you remember last?" Yuna asked.  
  
Tidus scratched the back of his head as he got up from the couch. "You know, it's all a blur. All I can remember millions of people running around, screaming as these huge machina were rolling into Zanarkand. Flashes of blue light just kept appearing."  
  
Yuna looked at him oddly. What were the images that he claims he saw? The Tidus she knew had never mentioned these things from the Zanarkand he came from.  
  
"You don't remember the battle we had with sin and your father?" she asked, fearing what the answer might be.  
  
"Sin?" he gave her a questioning look. "What's a Sin? And my father? What has he got to do with anything?"  
  
Yuna held her breath. It wasn't him. He's not Tidus, at least not the Tidus she knew.  
  
"You aren't him," Yuna closed her eyes. "What are you doing here?"  
  
He gave her a puzzled look, his eyebrows furrowed and he spoke, "Did I say something wrong?"  
  
****  
  
That night, Yuna asked Riku, Lulu, Wakka and Kimahri to meet with her outside by the wharf. She needed their advice.they would know what to do. Tidus isn't.who she thought he would be. He looked and sounded the same, but.something just wasn't there.  
  
"I don't understand," Riku shook her head vigorously. "I thought.this was what you wanted. I thought you wanted him back. Aren't you happy?"  
  
"This probably is what Yuna wanted," Lulu began, "But, what she means if that, the Tidus that's here right now seems to be different from the Tidus who was with us when Yuna went on her Pilgrimage."  
  
"So, what is it that you want to do, Yuna?" Wakka asked. "Perhaps we there's a way we can find out where he came from and who he really is. Maybe he's like a copy of the Tidus we all know. Wouldn't that be a rio-"  
  
Wakka stopped in mid-sentence as Lulu shot a threatening look his way. He bit his lip knowing that he had gone too far, as always.  
  
"Guadosalam," Kimahri simply said. "The Guado would know."  
  
"Yes," Yuna nodded. "That's a good idea. Perhaps our answers lie in Guadosalam."  
  
"But you said that the last thing he remembered was Zanarkand," Rika said. "Maybe.the answers lie there as well."  
  
"Perhaps," Lulu said, thinking it over. "Auron had said that memories were left there, like a giant memory sphere. Perhaps we might be able to see something if we went there."  
  
Yuna gave a slight nod. She knew she could rely on them to help her.  
  
"Then we're on the road again," Yuna said, smiling.  
  
"Just like old times, ya?" Wakka smiled. "So we leave tomorrow?"  
  
"I think that would be the best if we want to sort out this problem as soon as possible," Lulu nodded.  
  
"Tomorrow morning it is then," Yuna confirmed as she and her friends began to walk back to the house.  
  
A/N: smilez sorry about the first chapter.giving away most of the plot. Well.just that part about Tidus, but you know, I have to write something to show this isn't just the typical Yuna/Tidus fanfic where he comes back and they just start smooching their mouths off just right there. Yeah.I don't like that too much. Well.from now on, I promise no more spoiling of the plot.  
  
I don't like this chapter all too much, I was writing this and I as reading 'Confessions of a Shopahoic' at the same time, so it looks like I kinda switched styles after the first part. Sorry.lots of spelling errors.most likely. I can't remember how to spell the names of some places and spells from the game and I'm too lazy to go check. I'm trying to write as much as I can before I leave for a trip at the end of the month and I don't have very good internet access.. Maybe I'll work on the story on the plane.when I'm not reading, listening to music or drawing. :P  
  
Oh, and to "Sarah" I don't really want spoil the game for you if you haven't finished it yet, but Tidus died in Zanarkand during the war against Bevelle.at least that's what I think. I've written too much already and I feel like I'm just droning on, so I'll shut up now. :P 


	3. Preparations

Chapter 3: Preparations  
  
"I wish I could go," she sobbed, unable to hold the tears back.  
  
"Yuna." the boy gently breathed into the air.  
  
The world seemed to shimmer around them as he moved in closer to Yuna, closing whatever barriers that stood between them. Her tears paused as she looked up at his face - mesmerized by his tender expression.  
  
Their gaze never left one another as his arms found themselves around her shoulders, and he leaned his face towards her. Their lips locked into a deep embrace . . . and if there were still barriers existing between them, they were certainly crumbling . . .  
  
***  
  
Moments passed by, but he still remained seated on the floor, staring deeply into the now empty memory sphere (a/n: movie sphere in the game). The images he had just witnessed sent him further into confusion, creating more questions to wrack against the inside of his head. Was that girl that precious to him? He couldn't recall any memories of her - or caring for someone so deeply.  
  
"What's buggin' you?" Tidus heard a cheerful voice asked him from behind.  
  
Tidus turned around, only to find a tall man with orange hair standing by the doorframe.  
  
"You're. . . Wakka," Tidus said, pausing between his words, to try to remember the man's name. He had spent the night before talking to each of the inhabitants in the house, trying hard to get to know them - perhaps remember them.  
  
Wakka gave a nod before catching sight of the memory sphere on the floor.  
  
"What's this?" the ex-blitz ball player asked, crouching down beside Tidus and activating the sphere.  
  
Images spewed forth onto the surface of the sphere.images of their adventures together, the enemies they faced, and images of Yuna and Tidus sharing a brief moment of embrace. Wakka quickly turned the sphere off, seeing the distress in the boy's eyes.  
  
"Still trying to remember, huh?" Wakka's voice became weak as he realized his error. "You shouldn't sweat about it. Those memories aren't yours. Their someone else's."  
  
"But . . .he looks just like me. . ." Tidus' expression deepened, making Wakka feel even worse. He wasn't helping much in comforting the boy. He knew that for sure.  
  
"Hey, like I said, don't worry about it!" Wakka released a nervous laugh. "That's why we'll be heading out to Guadosalam in a little while. We'll figure all this out in time, so just take it easy for now, ya?"  
  
Tidus didn't say anything in reply and his expression did change, as well. He was too lost in his own thoughts.  
  
***  
  
"I had hoped that we would never have to use these ever again," Lulu stated as she pulled out their legendary weapons from a large chest found in her room. "But, if we are to travel to Guadosalam and to Zanarkand, we'll have to carry some weapons along with us. The roads are still littered with fiends."  
  
Yuna bent down in the chest and took out her legenday weapon, Nirvana. She could still feel the power emanating from it. She gave the rod a few good spins in her hands, causing old memories to arise. Before, she had used the powerful weapon to amplify her magic and concentration to call upon the powers of the Fayth to summon forth powerful aeons. But with the Fayth now awaken from their dreams and with the death of Sin, the aeons became nothing more than forgotten things of the past. Now, the only use she would have for Nirvana would be just to cast white magic.  
  
"Wooh!" Riku exclaimed happily, drawing Yuna from her thoughts. "It's great to have you back!"  
  
Riku spun around, slipping her weapon, Godhand, on. She teetered slightly from the sudden shift of weight onto one side of her body, but she quickly recovered from it.  
  
"Teeheehee!" she giggled sinisterly. "The destruction we will wreak together once more, and the great many things we will steal. Oh. I hope I'll remember how to mix potions and items together still."  
  
Yuna shook her head at her cousin. Riku was exaggerating of course. The only destruction she truly caused in battle was her constant panicking, causing her to throwing gil at her enemies and bribing them to leave. But, when pushed to the limit and with absolutely now way of escaping, Riku's overdrive would cause devastating damage upon enemies . . . when she got her formulas for the mixing items right, of course.  
  
Yuna's attention turned to Wakka, now smiling as he held a deadly looking blitz ball in his hands. The World Champion, back in the hands of the great Wakka. He spun the ball on his finger, careful to avoid the sharp blades protruding from the ball.  
  
"Yuna," Lulu handed Yuna a sword wrapped in a thick plain cloth. "Give this to him."  
  
Yuna gently peeled the cloth off from the blade, finding the Cadabolg still shining as brilliantly as it had when Tidus had first gotten it. Yuna inhaled a deep breath and headed over to the corner Tidus was standing alone at.  
  
"Here," she offered the blade to him. "It belonged to . . . a friend. I'm sure you'll make good use of it, as he did before."  
  
Tidus took the weapon from her, admiring the fine craftsmanship of the blade. It was surprisingly light, and well balanced. He swung it around in the air, careful not to strike the girl standing by him.  
  
"Wow, it's sure is something!" he said in awe. "But. . . I don't really know how to fight."  
  
For a moment, Yuna was shocked. The boy had handled the weapon with such ease, it was hard to believe he had never handled a weapon before. The likeness of his handling of the blade was so much like his. . . it hurt to watch. Yuna suppressed the pain in her chest, and forced a smile unto her face.  
  
"It's alright," she said in a bright tone of voice, masking her true feelings. "You'll learn to fight on the way to Zanarkand. I'm sure you'll get the hang of it soon enough."  
  
****  
  
Kimahri, stood at the edge of the wharf, looking at the horizon. The sun was at its peak was mercilessly staring down at the Ronso. Kimahri ignored the discomfort the sun caused, and was pleased to see the small speck in the horizon arriving.  
  
"They have finally decided to come," the Ronso simple said, before turned around and started to head back to the cottage.  
  
It was only moments later that Riku ran excitedly out onto wharf, and began waving at the object that was slowly coming nearer and nearer.  
  
"Uncle Cid!" she cried out happily out to the ship.  
  
Yuna followed closely behind Riku, and smiled at the sight of the familiar air ship. It had been months since she had seen her uncle, and the rest of the Al Bhed family as well. Now that sin and Yu Yevon were gone for good, the people of Spira had been searching for new ways to go about their lives. The use of machina was one those new ways. The people of Spira had seemed to have forgotten their hate for machina and the Al Bhed people over night and were willing to accept their uses of technology. It's wasn't usual to see people carrying guns and getting around in flying machines nowadays. And through all this change, the Al Bhed had been very busy, traveling all around Spira, delivering new technologies-building new contraptions in cities through the world. That's one of the reasons why she hadn't been able to visit Cid for a while.  
  
It wasn't long till the rest of the group decided to join Yuna and Riku out at the wharf. They all stood there side by side as they watched the large air ship land beside them and two people dressed in goggles and rough leather suits step out of the ship, followed by a man in his mid forties and was deprived of much hair.  
  
"Cid!" Rika said excitedly as he bound up to the man and gave his a tight hug around his neck, and quickly jumped back as a fist followed her actions.  
  
"Don't get so grabby," Cid grumbled, then he turned towards his niece. "Yuna," he said in acknowledgement.  
  
"It's been a while," Yuna greeted him with a short bow.  
  
"It has." Cid droned off as he caught site of the young boy standing a little ways behind Yuna. "Tidus? Is that really you? I thought you were- "  
  
"No, no," Yuna cut off her uncle. "It's not quite what it looks like. He's not the Tidus you've met before."  
  
"Excuse me?" Cid gave a confused look.  
  
"Yeah, it's more complicated that in seems," Wakka scratched the back of his head.  
  
"Well, you can explain to me on the way," said Cid. "We've got plenty of time before we get to Guadosalam. . . . That is where you've heading right?"  
  
Yuna gave a nod.  
  
"Then let's go! We've still got errands to run after we drop you guys off, and it's best if we hurry," Cid explained, and motions for Yuna and the others to follow him into the air ship.  
  
A/N: Wow . . . I wonder how long this chapter has been in my hard drive? Well, probably since Christmas, and I just never got around to finishing it. Well, I just had to finish of where Rika was at the wharf waving to the airship and I stopped from there because I couldn't think of what else to write. Yep. So it sort of craps from there on. I think I have the plot for the story pretty well planned out ( I hope) I have it all planned out in here *points to her head*. Yep, don't be expecting an update too soon. I know I said that I have it all planned out, but I still have to think about how I'm gonna lay it all out for the next chapter and the next chapter and the next chapter . . . (I think you get the idea) :P 


End file.
